Metal supporting device for building construction



NOV. 2, 1937. F, R, WALKER I 2,098,172

METAL SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Oct. 25, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l F. R. WALKER 2,098,172

METAL SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Nov. 2, 1937.

Original Filed Ooi.. 25, 1954 2 Sheets-SheetA 2 Patented Nov. Z, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METAL SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Frank R. Walker, Glencoe, Ill.

9 Claims.

My invention relates to the general class of building construction, and has particular reference to the provision of a metal support or shoe for use in connection with wooden beams, girders, joists, and like structural elements employed in the construction of a building, in the present instance serving to stabilize the oors, walls, and partitions supported thereon.

The wooden materials used in a building are subject to shrinkage toa more or less extent indicated by the sagging of the floors and the frames around window and door openings, as well as by the appearance of unsightly cracks in the walls and partitions, especially at the intersection of the wall and ceiling, such conditions resulting in greater measure from the shrinkage of the beams and joists on which the oors, walls, and other contiguous parts of the building are supported.

The principal object of my invention therefore is to overcome the effect of the shrinkage of the Wooden beams, joists, and other like supporting elements in a building construction, for which purpose I employ metal devices or shoes which will cooperate with the wooden supporting elements in maintaining the structural work built thereon in its original position irrespective of any shrinkage in said supporting elements, to thereby stabilize the building by reducing to a minimum the damage occasioned by shrinkage of these elements of the construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a metal device or shoe for the purposes stated which is of simple construction and can be readily applied to the supporting element, such as a wooden beam, girder, or joist, in the construction of a. building without requiring any work on the supporting element for the tting of the metal supporting unit thereon.

With these principal objects in view my invention contemplates the provision of a metal supporting device which is adapted to be used in cooperation with a wooden beam, girder, or joist, said device being in the form of a metal shoe, preferably U-shape, which embraces the beam, girder, or joist and provides the principal supporting element thereof.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof:

Figure 1 is a side elevation sho-wing the application of the preferred form of my improved metal supporting device or shoe to a Wooden beam.

Fig, 2 is a detail perspective view of the U- shape metal supporting device, showing the same in its simplest form.

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views through the wooden joist and preferred form of shoe before and after shrinkage of the joist.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the inverted U- shoe before and after shrinkage of the joist.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the shoe 5 in its preferred form.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view through the joist with the preferred form of shoe attached thereto, and

Figs. 8 to 12 inclusive illustrate modications of my invention.

Like numerals of reference refer to identical parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention the metal supporting device or shoe, referred to generally by the numeral 2li, is preferably U-shape in form and provided in its side pieces and connecting portion with round holes and slots, hereinafter particularly referred to, by means of which the 20 said supporting device or shoe is fastened to the beam or joist and contiguous parts of the building structure. This U-shape supporting device or shoe is made in various sizes to iit over a beam 2l, (Fig. l), or a joist 22 shown in the other iigures of the drawings, but as pointed out further on in these specifications other shapes may be adapted to suit varying conditions employing other wooden elements of construction such as rafters, stringers, etc., and it will be understood also that the said supporting device or shoe can be constructed of other material than metal, that is to say, any material commonly used in substitution for metal.

In the construction of a building the doors, walls, and partitions are supported by, and usually rest directly upon, wooden beams and joists which oftentimes shrink to such an extent as to cause material damage tothe aforesaid parts of the structure, and with this in mind the principle on which my invention is based contemplates stabilization of the superposed structure by supporting the same from the wooden beams or joists in such a manner that any shrinkage of the latter will not be communicated to said superposed structure. This is accomplished by attaching a shoe to the joist so as to receive the weight of the superposed structure and at the same time not interfere with the shrinkage of the joist, and a like result is accomplished in connection with a beam or other Wooden structural element supported on a foundation, which may be a column, wall, or other base.

For supporting the superstructure of a building from the wooden joists or other wooden elements of the structure the U-shape metal shoe 20 is inverted and attached to the wooden joist in a particular manner whereby the walls and partitions are maintained in their original positions notwithstanding the joists may shrink to a more or less extent. To this end the U-shape metal shoe is provided with several holes 21 near the outer ends of the spaced apart side pieces thereof for attachment to near the lower edge of the wooden joist whereby any shrinkage of the upper part of said wooden joist will not affect the partitions or other superstructure supported on the metal device or shoe, as they will be maintained at their original height to overcome the damaging effect coincident to the shrinking of beams or joists wherein the flooring or superstructure rests directly on the joists. In addition to the holes 21 through which the attaching means pass into the wooden joist or Stringer, the U-shape metal support may be and preferably is provided with holes 28 in that portion thereof integrally connected to the side pieces, to permit passage of means, as nails 34 and 35, into the joists for holding the superstructure in place on the metal supporting devices.

For more securely attaching the metal shoe to the joist or stringer slots 26 are provided in the side pieces of the shoe in addition to the round holes 21 at the outer ends of said side pieces. These slots are intermediate the round holes and inner ends of the side pieces and do not interfere vwith, the shrinkage of the joist, as the-movement of the attaching means, as bolts 3l, caused by the shrinkage of the joist, will be taken care of by said slots. This is clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, from which it will be seen that the bolts 30 passing through the round holes 21 firmly hold the shoe to the joist, for, supporting the superstructure, while the bolts 3| move in the slots to compensate for the shrinkage, indicated by the letter a in Fig. 4. As an example of this application of the metal shoe the drawings show a plate 32 Ymounted on the inverted U-shape shoe and secured to the joist by nails 34 passing through one of the openings 28 into the joist, said plate supporting the vertical studding .33, though of course any other form of superstructure may be erected to be supported by the metal shoes for maintaining such structure in its original position.

As my invention is susceptible to various changes in the construction of the metal shoe or support adapted to cooperate with a beam, joist, and other elements of a building construction I have illustrated a few forms which may be found desirable to suit varying conditions in the construction of a building. For example, Fig. 8 shows a shoe, 31, rectangular in shape; Fig. 9 the ernployment of plates 38 which dispense with the use of a crosspiece; Fig. l0 E-shape plates 39 to embrace the four sides of the joist, and Figs. 11 and 12 show T-shape plates, either invone piece as 40 in Fig. l1, or separate pieces as 4I, 42, in Fig. l2. In all these modifications, however, the metal support is provided at its lower end with round bolt holes 21, to receive the bolts 3U by which said metal support is firmly secured to the Vjoist, and may be also provided with vertical slots 26 to receive the bolts 3| adapted to Work in said slots to allow for shrinkage in the joist or Stringer, for as hereinbefore poined out the round holes receive the bolts which rigidly secure the metal supporting device to near the lower edge of the beam or joist, while the slots receive bolts which .supplement the other bolts in attaching the supporting device to prevent sidewise movement thereof on the joist or beam without interfering with the shrinkage which would be the case if round holes instead of slots were employed.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings that shrinkage of the joists is not communicated to the building construction erected thereabove, as wallsiand partitions, for-'the lreason that the superstructure remains at its original height,

land the only part of the building affected by the shrinkage is the flooring of the several stories vwhich rest directly on the joists. This settling of the fioors corresponds with the shrinkage of the ljoists, and-as the baseboards or shoes are nailed to the flooring they will follow the same downward vand cover the gap'at'the lower end of the walls or partitions. On the other hand, as the lower edges of thejoists remain at their original height the usual ydamaging effect at the intersection of the walls and ceiling is overcome.

It will be apparent also that where the U-shape metal device, or any of the modifications thereof shown-in the drawings, is employed it not only provides for maintaining the superstructure at its original height but also maintains the ceiling at the under side of the joist, at its original height, it being understood that the shrinkage takes place within the metal supporting device or between the upper and lower ends thereof and therefore does not affect the superstructure or the ceilings-of the building. Furthermore, it will be noted from the drawings that the holes by which the metal support is rigidly attached to the joist are out of horizontal alignment to avoid weakening the joist at this point.

Where in the specifications the attaching means passing through the holes and slots have been referred to as bolts, 30 and 3l, it will be understood that nails, screws, or other suitable fastening means may-be employed, and that when the shoe is made of metal it can be a casting or stamped from sheet steel of the desired thickness. It will be understood also that my invention is subject to further changes or modifications, it being essential only that the metal supporting device be applied to the wooden joist or otherY wooden element of the building construction so that saidy metal device be attached to near the lower edge thereof in such manner as not to interfere with the shrinkage but maintain the upper end of the metal support at its original height with respect to the joistl I claim:-

1. A supporting unit for building construction to overcome the damaging effect coincident tothe Shrinking of beams or joists, comprising a shoe for supporting a structure superposed above the beam or joist, said shoe having atransverse member at its upper end on which the superposed structure rests and holesat the lower end thereof, the holes receiving the fastening means for rigidly securing the shoe to near the lower edge 0f the beam or joist whereby to allow for shrinking of the beam or joist between the top and bottom thereof while maintaining thesuperstructure supported on the shoes and the ceiling at the under side of the joists at their original heights.

. 2. A supporting unit florbuilding construction tovovercome the damaging effect coincident to the shrinkage o f beams or joists, comprising a, shoe for supporting a structure .superposed abovethe beam or j oist, said shoe havingfa transverse member at its .upper end on which the superstructure rests, holes at the lower end of the shoe and vertical slots intermediate its ends, the holes 'receiving the means for fastening the shoe rigidly to the beam or joist near the lower edge thereof and the slots through which additional fastening means pass allowing for shrinkage of said beam or joist between the top and bottom thereof, in supporting the superstructure on the shoes and the ceiling at the under side of the joists at their original heights.

3. A supporting unit for building .construction to overcome the damaging effect coincident to the shrinking of beams or joists, comprising a U- shape shoe for supporting the structure superposed above the beam or joist directly on the crosspiece of said shoe when inverted, the shoe having holes at the outer ends of the side pieces thereof to receive the means for fastening the inverted U-shape shoe rigidly to the beam or joist near the lower edge of the latter, whereby to allow for shrinking of the beam or joist between the top and bottom thereof while maintaining the superstructure supported on the shoes and the ceiling at the under side of the joists at their original heights.

4. A supporting unit for building construction to overcome the damaging effect coincident to the shrinking of beams or joists, comprising a U- shape shoe for supporting the structure superposed above the beam or joist, said U-shape shoe having holes at the outer ends of the side pieces thereof to receive the means for fastening the inverted U-shape shoe rigidly to the joist or beam near the lower edge of the latter, whereby tol allow for shrinking of the beam or joist between the top and bottom thereof While maintaining the superstructure supported by the shoes and the ceiling at the underside of the joists at their original heights, and holes through the crosspiece of the U-shape shoe'for the passage of fastoning means through said holes into the beam or joist to prevent lateral movement of the superposed structure.

5. A supporting unit for building construction to overcome the damaging effect coincident to the shrinking of beams or joists, comprising a U- shape shoe for supporting the structure superposed above the beams or joists, said U-shape shoe having holes at the outer ends of the side pieces thereof to receive the means for fastening the inverted U-shape shoe rigidly to the joist or beam near the lower edge thereof, and vertical slots intermediate the ends of the side pieces of the U-shape shoe to receive additional fastening means, the slots allowing for shrinking of the beam or joist within the shoe between the top and bottom thereof.

6. A supporting unit for building construction to overcome the damaging eifect coincident to the shrinking of beams or joists, comprising a U- shape shoe for supporting the structure superposed above the beam or joist, said U-shape shoe having holes at the outer end of the side pieces thereof to receive the means for fastening the inverted U-shape shoe rigidly to the joist or beam near the lower edge thereof, vertical slots intermediate the ends of the side pieces of the U-shape shoe to receive additional fastening means and allow for shrinking of the beam or joist Within the shoe between the top and bottom thereof, and holes through the crosspiece of the U-shape shoe for the passage of fastening means into the beam or joist to prevent lateral movement of the superposed structure.

'7. A supporting unit for building construction to overcome the damaging effect coincident to the shrinking of beams or joists, comprising a shoe for supporting the structure superposed above the beam or joist, said shoe having a vertical member for attachment to the beam or joist at one side thereof and a member extending laterally from the upper end of said vertical member at opposite sides thereof, for supporting the superstructure on said shoe, the vertical member having holes near the lower end thereof for rigidly securing the shoe to the beam or joist near the lower edge thereof and permit shrinkage of the beam or joist between the fastening means and laterally extending member of the shoe in maintaining the superstructure supported by the shoes and the ceiling at the under side of the joists at their original heights.

8. A supporting unit for building construction to overcome the damaging effect coincident to the shrinking of beams or joists, comprising a shoe for supporting the structure superposed above the beam or joist, said shoe having a vertical member for attachment to the beam or joist at one side thereof and a member extending laterally from the upper end of said vertical member for supporting the superstructure on said shoe, the vertical member having holes near the lower end thereof and vertical slots intermediate its ends, whereby the fastening means passing through the holes will rigidly secure the shoe to the beam or joist near the lower edge thereof and the additional fastening means passing through the slots will allow for shrinkage of the beam in supporting the superstructure on the shoes and the ceiling at the under side of the joists at their original heights.

9. A supporting unit for building construction to overcome the damaging effect coincident to the shrinking of beams or joists, comprising a T-shape shoe having holes near the lower end of the vertical member thereof and Vertical slots intermediate the ends of said vertical member for attachment of the shoe to the beam or joist so as to support the superimposed structure at its original height on the shoe, the attaching means which pass through the slots preventing lateral movement of the shoe while allowing for shrinln'ng of the joist between the top and bottom thereof.

FRANK R. WALKER. 

